Political Breakfast from WABE

On this week's Political Breakfast: We recorded another live episode in-front of a studio audience here at WABE, roughly six weeks into Donald Trump's second presidency.  Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson joined host Lisa Rayam to answer questions from some of our loyal listeners.  We discuss Trump's first 6 weeks in office and the political im...

Georgia state lawmakers are now halfway through the 40-day legislative session. Between former President Jimmy Carter's funeral, the presidential inauguration and a snow storm, the session got of to a slow start. But now some big ticket items are on the move. On this week's episode of "Plugged In," hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali take a closer look at some of those bills, including one that woul...

This Political Breakfast, the gang dives into a recent New York Times article about Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff -- the state's first Jewish Senator -- losing Jewish support.  The Times wrote some Democratic donors and Jewish leaders are unhappy with Ossoff's position and criticism of the Israel-Hamas war. A bipartisan group of Jewish leaders even urged Georgia GOP Governor Brian Kemp to r...

On this week's first Political Breakfast, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp responds to Donald Trump's administration firing roughly 13-hundred workers at Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Employees told NPR they wish to remain anonymous, and reported the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency cut about 10 percent of the workforce.  Meanwhile, is Kemp setting th...

Georgia state lawmakers this week started digging into Governor Brian Kemp’s signature policy push this session – overhauling the state’s civil litigation rules, often referred to as tort or lawsuit reform. On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali bring listeners into the first committee hearing on the issue, where lawmakers and...

New candidates are hinting they'll run to replace Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in 2026.  On this epidose of Political Breakfast, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam discuss two in particular: GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Democratic State Senator Jason Esteves.  The team re-visits former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance...

Lawmakers are wrapping up a busy week at the State Capitol as they take their first votes on the budget and banning transgender girls from playing on girls school sports teams. On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss these and other new legislative proposals including on school safety. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

On this week's second edition of Political Breakfast, we focus on Governor Brian Kemp's highest legislative priority this session: Tort reform.  Kemp has been pushing the issue for years, and believes that the laws on our books make it too easy to bring "frivolous lawsuits against Georgia business owners." He's said excessive civil litigation drives up the price of insurance, and stops job gr...

On this week's Political Breakfast, we reflect on Black History Month amid attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in the workplace from President Donald Trump's administration.  Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam touch on Trump blaming the recent horrific Philadelphia plane and helicopter crash on DEI.  Plus, tar...

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has outlined his top legislative priority – reigning in civil litigation, often referred to as tort reform. Also on this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali take a closer look at Democrats' effort to expand Medicaid in Georgia, and their proposal's difficult path ahead. Plus, President Donald Trump's moves to...

On this episode of Political Breakfast, host Lisa Rayam, the Atlanta Civic Circle's Saba Long and Republican strategist Brian Robinson focus on Georgia's 2026 gubernatorial race. Democrat and Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is considering running. That's after serving as an international trade advisor to President Joe Biden.  But that's as candidates on both sides are starting to ma...

President Donald Trump has been president for a week -- and it's already hard to keep up with his barrage of executive orders.  One controversial move: Trump shuttered communications from federal health agencies, including the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, until February 1st. Agencies subject to this include the CDC, the National Institutes of Health and the Food a...

As temperatures plunged, Georgia and Washington, D.C. prepared for the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. On this week’s “Plugged In,” WABE Politics Reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss the first week of the new administration, the ongoing court fight over Georgia’s redistricting maps and the state’s response to bird flu in two commercial fl...

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp delivered his  seventh State of the State  address at the State Capitol on Thursday. In it he applauded the state’s resilience through natural disasters, the pandemic, economic upheaval and a deadly school shooting and cast Georgia’s approach to health, budgeting and public safety as a model for other states to emulate, declaring “the Georgia...

On this week's Political Breakfast, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson reflect with host Lisa Rayam on the first week of Georgia lawmakers getting back to business under the Gold Dome.  Both attended one of the most anticipated political events of the new year: Eggs and Issues. That's when every January, thousands of the state's top elected officials...

Georgia’s only president, Jimmy Carter, was laid to rest this week in the rural corner of Southwest Georgia where he was born a century ago. On this week’s episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali share what they saw and heard as Carter’s life and accomplishments were celebrated throughout Georgia. Plus, a preview of the 2025 legislative...

As the start of the new legislative session looms, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson say the issue of public safety is sure to be a top priority. Just last week MARTA bus driver Leroy Ramos was shot and killed outside the Decatur station, allegedly over a fare dispute. Three juveniles were swiftly arrested.  Tharon and Brian join host Lisa Rayam to...

Here on the first Political Breakfast podcast of 2025, we pay tribute to the late-President and humanitarian Jimmy Carter.  Also, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson share with host Lisa Rayam their wish-list for state legislators, as they prepare to head back to work soon.  The start of Georgia's new legislative session is just days away. Plus,...

Former President Jimmy Carter died Sunday at 100. On this encore episode, WABE's Sam Gringlas looks at how two tiny towns in South Georgia shaped two U.S. presidents. We also preview six days of tributes planned to celebrate the life of the 39th president. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of Political Breakfast, the team reflects on the legacy of Vincent Fort. The former Georgia lawmaker recently lost his battle with cancer. During his time as a state senator, Fort was known as a voice for the underserved. He took on housing reform and a host of civil rights issues. Host Lisa Rayam along with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon John...

On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," we take stock of the year in Georgia politics, including a recent court decision removing Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis from the Georgia election interference case , which represents the last remaining criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump. Plus we look ahead to 2025 and test our editors' knowledge of the news...

On this week's Political Breakfast, the gang talks about another Georgian who's been tapped to serve alongside President-elect Donald Trump.  Trump announced Saturday that he's picked former Buckhead cityhood leader Bill White to serve as his ambassador to Belgium. White donated millions to Trump's 2024 campaign. Simultaneously, White pushed for Georgia lawmakers to split the affluent Atlanta...

This week the Political Breakfast team talks tort reform, and how Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is making this a top priority during the 2025 legislative session. That starts in just a few weeks after the new year. Kemp has been bringing it up at gatherings like the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's Congressional Luncheon for years.  He told lawmakers in 2023 that the laws on our books make it "too...

Twenty-two new state lawmakers will take their seats at the State Capitol when the Georgia General Assembly reconvenes on January 13th. Among them is Bryce Berry, who at just 23 is one of the youngest state lawmakers in Georgia history. On this week’s episode of “Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali speak with reporter Jasmine Robinson,  wh...

Republican strategist Brian Robinson, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and host Lisa Rayam tackle the issue of immigration, and President-elect Donald Trump's promise of mass deportations once taking office. How are Georgia families dealing with the prospect of possibly being forced to leave? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.